Help support this groundbreaking (literally) housing initiative!

In 2020, inspired by our autistic son Evan, we created The Legacy Building Project. Faced with long waiting lists for supportive housing and limited options, we wanted to use our professional experience in construction and design to challenge conventional approaches and help adults with high support needs build fuller, more independent lives and long term financial security.

Our vision is to create a model for home expansion that is tailored to support needs, creates space for caregivers, generates income through rental accommodation and creates opportunity for adults with additional needs to develop both essential and profitable skills and build greater independence.

PROOF OF CONCEPT

Our pilot project involves two properties created from a severed North Toronto lot containing our original 1947 bungalow: creating a multigenerational family home with art studio space and separate annex property. After six years of work, one property is approximately 70% complete and the annex is approximately 95% complete.

Our dream for the annex property was to create affordable rental accommodation for other local adults with high support needs. Unfortunately, we have run into our fair share of setbacks as we try to clear the municipal path and establish the blueprint. A dispute with the City over an understood reimbursement of over $200,000 in planning and development fees that we paid upfront remains unresolved. As loan interest continues to mount, our community has stepped in with volunteers to help keep us moving, but we have reached a point where construction cannot continue without additional financial support. We have made the difficult decision to sell the annex property on completion in order to repay lenders and continue the wider project.

We are raising $150,000 to complete the annex property ready for sale, generating the income we need to keep the project going.

Your contribution will help cover the materials and labor costs for the remaining work on the annex which includes:

* Front porch

* Driveway

* HVAC

* Doors

* Kitchen appliances

* Exterior railings

* Permanent Utility Activation

* Associated Closeout Fees

WHY THIS PROJECT MATTERS BEYOND OUR FAMILY

Research from Statistics Canada and the Ontario Organization reveals over half of parents with special needs children are forced to alter their employment to provide care, with nearly 50% experiencing severe financial hardship.

We believe there should be more recognized pathways to help families address these challenges before they reach a crisis point.

The long term purpose of The Legacy Building project is to operate as a consultancy service that helps families like ours navigate the expansion and adaptation of owned property - advising on design to maximise space and create adaptations appropriate for their family member's needs; calculating return on investment for long term financial planning, help with accessing financing options and funding support, as well as free skilled volunteer support during construction to income-qualifying families.

We also intend to work with major donors to raise sufficient funds in the near future to proceed again with our plans to create affordable rental accommodation so that we are not limited to only supporting those who own property.

MORE THAN 570,000 PEOPLE IN TORONTO ARE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

For decades, traditional financial planning for exceptional families focused largely on passive wealth preservation—accumulating savings in Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSPs) or setting up Henson Trusts. While vital, it’s rare for these tools to generate sufficient liquid capital to cover the soaring monthly operational costs of lifelong specialist care.

Despite The City of Toronto Official Plan committing in 2015 to support the expansion of supportive and special-needs housing and remove barriers for residents with disabilities—a population totalling more than 570,000 people—these commitments are not matched by practical implementation mechanisms. This leaves individual families and smaller community-led initiatives to navigate City processes and, at times, contest issues such as zoning, fee exemptions, and access to municipal support on a case-by-case basis.

Through this project, we are working with municipalities, suppliers, builders, and other stakeholders to help create clearer pathways for families who follow and support them through it.

This includes but is not limited to:

YOUR CONTRIBUTION MATTERS

We have invested six years of our lives, our resources, and our determination into this vision. Help us show the City what's possible and successfully complete the first build.

Every donation no matter the size helps make a difference. Even just sharing this campaign helps bring in new interest that could help us get the support we desperately need.

Help us complete the annex, recover from the financial strain that has accumulated, and prove that there are options available for families facing financial difficulty due to long term disability care.

Thank you for believing in this project, in our family, and in the possibility of a better future for families raising children with exceptional needs.

Thank you,

Joseph, Rhonda, Matana, Aaron and Evan.

A little more about us...

We are Joseph and Rhonda, parents with a background in construction and design. We have three adult children. Our son Evan, 28, has been non-verbal all of his life. He has battled with extreme autism challenges and OCD tendencies. His twin Aaron is also autistic and their sister Matana was diagnosed with epilepsy. Evan has always found a way to inspire the people around him by expressing himself through art. Having been recognized as a promising young artist, Evan’s work was exhibited as a part of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

After early success championing the severance of our family home and beginning work on the Legacy Building Project, we faced a major setback when Evan sustained a catastrophic injury to his right arm that threatened his ability to pursue his passion for art and future vocation.

Following the miraculous reconstructive work of a team of surgeons and several years of physiotherapy, Evan has ultimately regained full function. We have worked relentlessly to help him rebuild his dreams and find a path toward independence.

His experience is one example of the complex and unexpected challenges that can arise for someone with high support needs. With the creation of the art studio space, we hope to give Evan viable opportunity to develop his skills and generate income from his art.